Quinn Slams Rauner Budget Plan As "Worst I've Ever Seen"
CHICAGO (CBS) -- For the first time since leaving office, former Gov. Pat Quinn was back in the public eye, and he pulled no punches regarding his successor's budget plans.
Quinn met a group of reporters after taking part in a forum at Loyola University School of Law, and pretty much took a pass on the jabs he's received from Gov. Bruce Rauner since the new governor was sworn in last month.
"In politics, you've got to have a tough hide. I've been called a lot of names along the way, and it's water off a duck's back," he said of Rauner repeatedly blaming him for the state's fiscal situation, and other problems in state government.
However, he had some harsh words for Rauner's plans to deal with the state's budget mess.
"I think if anybody in Illinois knew the budget he presented last week was what he had in store, the election result would have been different on Nov. 4," Quinn said.
Rauner has called for $1.5 billion in cuts to Medicaid, reductions in state aid to local governments, and other spending cuts for state programs in order to eliminate a $6 billion budget gap without raising taxes.
Quinn called Rauner's budget plan the worst in the state's history.
"That's the worst budget I've ever seen that any governor's presented in the history of Illinois. It's very, very unfair," he said.
As for the future, Quinn sounded like he plans to return to his roots as an organizer fighting for consumers, though he wasn't specific about his plans.
Asked what he does with his time now that he's out of public office, Quinn said "I like to play basketball, so I enjoy sports, and watching sports, and playing sports, and vigorous brisk walking."
He also said he misses talking to reporters every day.